Saturday, April 2, 2011

Deacons and Diakonia: "Configured to Christ the Servant"

For the last seven or eight years, I have written a monthly column -- "Priests and Deacons" -- for The Priest, which is a periodical published by Our Sunday Visitor. Subscribers can access articles online here. Recently, I have been reviewing several foundational documents, speeches and catecheses on the diaconate. One such text is an address given by Pope John Paul II to a joint plenary assembly of the Congregation for Clergy and the Congregation for Catholic Education on 30 November 1995. The Congregations were gathering to prepare two documents on the diaconate, which were eventually published in Feburary, 1998. This papal address was the official launch of this project. I think it would be interesting to share some of it here as part of our reflection on deacons and the ministry of charity.

Entitled "Deacons Are Configured to Christ the Servant," the whole address is excellent, but one paragraph is particularly rich in significance. Here's the first part of what the pope had to say:

“The exercise of the diaconal ministry—like that of other ministries in the Church—requires per se of all deacons, celibate or married, a spiritual attitude of total dedication. Although in certain cases it is necessary to make the ministry of the diaconate compatible with other obligations, to think of oneself and to act in practice as a ‘part-time deacon’ would make no sense. The deacon is not a part-time employee or ecclesiastical official, but a minister of the Church. His is not a profession, but a mission!”

Deacons often find themselves dealing with a common misperception on the part of some presbyters and laity that they are, in fact, “part-time” ministers.Such a misperception places the locus of ministry on formal ecclesial structures themselves; the deacon, however, as a full-time minister, exercises diaconal ministry across the full range of human activity: whether he is at home with his family, at work in a secular profession, or functioning at church.At all times and in every venue he is, in fact, acting as a sacred minister of the Church, and the pope makes this point perfectly clear.

However, the pope wasn't just talking to other people about deacons; his words are important for deacons themselves. Immediately after the quote above, he continued:

“It is the circumstances of his life -- prudently evaluated by the candidate himself and by the bishop, before ordination -- which should, if necessary, be adapted to the exercise of his ministry by facilitating it in every way. The many problems which are still to be resolved and are of concern to pastors should be examined in this light. The deacon is called to be a person open to all, ready to serve people, generous in promoting just social causes, avoiding attitudes or positions which could make him appear to show favoritism. In fact, a minister of Jesus Christ, even as a citizen, must always promote unity and avoid, as far as possible, being a source of disunity or conflict."

Notice how the pope changes the focus of his comments: it is not only others who need to appreciate the fundamental sacramental identity of the deacon, but the deacon himself must evaluate the rest of his life in light of that identity!Furthermore, it is the other dimensions of his life that are to be adapted to the demands of ordained ministry, not the other way around.This is a topic every diaconal aspirant and candidate, and all deacons, and all the wives of aspirants, candidates and deacons, should consider prayerfully and honestly.How one’s life is forever re-oriented as a result of diaconal ordination lies at the very heart and expression of the deacon’s sacramental identity.

With this observation, the pope reminds pastors (including bishops) that this is a concern that they too must address.The deacon is not someone who simply “fits in” the ministerial program as he can; he is a vital member of the ministry and must be treated as such.Finally, the pope offers a rather nice summary of the pastoral attitude which ought to be the deacon’s: he is to be the very sign of what it means to be Catholic: “open to all, ready to serve people, generous in promoting just social causes.” While all people are called to this, the deacon sacramentalizes these traits.The deacon mustavoid anything that (“attitudes or positions”) which could be perceived as showing favoritism for one person (or group of persons) over others.I find it particularly interesting that the pope even highlights the deacon’s role in what me considered the political sphere: that as “a minister of Jesus Christ, even as a citizen, [the deacon] must always promote unity and avoid, as far as possible, being a source of disunity or conflict.

This section of the pope’s address offers a wonderful reflection on the proper orientation of the deacon, a vision of how the deacon ought not only be perceived by others, but how he should see and understand himself and the ordained ministry in which he participates. It is, in fact, a kind of diaconal world view which can form the foundation of a healthy, well-integrated and transformative diaconate in the Church today.

What do you think? Apply some of these papal insights to contemporary ministry.

9 comments:

I have read your series in The Priest maagizine regularly. I also wished that some of them could be out into a simple short pamphlet format (like the easy to read Liguori pamphlet series) to have in the parish vestibule book rack or to distribute whenever people ask, "What is a deacon?"

I think the biggest obstacle to a unified understanding among ourselves - let alone the presbyters et al - is that there still doesn't seem to be an agreed upon "Amen to that!" theology of the diaconate. How can we embrace as an Order what is not available? The closest I have come to seeing such a unified understanding would be both the Vatican's and the USCCB documents, but even then things have been "tweaked" (I believe) by Benedict XVI's motu proprio on a diaconal canon.

Here in the UK we are told that our family comes first, followed by our work commitments as the role of Deacon is unpaid. Then comes one duties and role as Deacon. So in this sense it is a part-time ministry; but a Deacon is a full member of the parish team.

We're often told that here in the US as well. On a practical level, this is often helpful. However, on a theological level it is almost heretical! LOL!

The reason I say that is this: once ordained, we are deacon 24/7/365, even when we're focused on our families. We're deacons even when we're not focused on ecclesial things. The danger to the prioritization approach is that it suggests that we're only deacons when we're doing some kind of churchy thing. The truth is much more profound, and I believe that most deacons understand that in their hearts. But it can lead to grave misunderstandings by others (like parish priests, for example).

I think the notion that the diaconate is a part-time job helps explain why some of our candidates think it is more "diaconal" to take communion to the sick than to get their hands dirty in a social ministry: "After all, the laity could do that!" I tell them that if deacons are ordained to represent the foot-washing Christ at the Last Supper, then every aspect their lives should exemplify loving service--to their family members, to co-workers and those they serve on the job, and to neighbors and community members. It is too much of a stretch for the laity to recognize a deacon as Icon of the Servant Christ if the only actual service they ever see the deacon doing is tidying up the communion vessels.

Perhaps it is just a question of semantics. Once ordained one is a deacon 100% of the time and everything that you do must be seen in that light. I think that the reason for the emphasis on family and work life is to stop you being sucked into unsustainable time management issues. Everything that we do, ordained or not, should be directed towards the glory of God.

I really wish our bishops would do a better job of delivering this message to our priests. Most of them "get it" but there are a few who don't have a clue about this strange creature who wants to invade their space. I work with one who won't let me touch the chalice. He reluctantly lets me stand next to him at the altar but clearly would rather I sat down somewhere and got out of his way.

Don't you think an important reason why many priests do not understand deacons is that their experience of "diaconate" is several months spent in more immediate prepration for ordination to the prebyterate? How can they take diaconate seriously as a distinct ministry when it wasn't their experience? I think it requires that the bishop give teachings on the diaconate and that each of us deacons be informed and able to explain things. Wouldn't it be GREAT if there was a small handy pamphet or brochure to give out that contained basic magisterial and ministerial info? Ahem...are you listening to that suggestion deacon-author Bill?

Sorry, I just now saw your suggestion about a basic (and short) text on the diaconate. That's what I was hoping "101 Q & A on Deacons" could do! LOL! I know it's not a "pamphlet," but I do think it's a pretty good, popular introduction to the subject.

About Deacon Bill

After spending high school and college in Catholic seminary studying for the priesthood, I joined the US Navy and served for twenty-two years. My family and I lived in a variety of places around the world, and my duties involved service as a Hebrew linguist, a Russian linguist and other intelligence-related assignments. After retiring as a Commander in 1993, I have been working in a variety of ministries. I was ordained a deacon of the Archdiocese of Washington, DC in 1990 while still on active duty. As both a lay minister and now as a deacon, I have been involved in adult faith formation, jail and prison ministry, and youth ministry. Even before ordination I served as a parish life coordinator, under canon 517.2, for a small parish community in Maine while stationed at the Navy base in Winter Harbor, Maine. I have the BA (Philosophy) from St. Ambrose University, an MA (Education) from Pepperdine University, an MA (Pastoral Theology) from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, and the Ph.D. (Theology) from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.